Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement（广告）for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent（出租）a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
1.If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.
A. ￡800 B. ￡500
C. ￡4500 D. 5000
2.Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?
A. On Letpark. B. On Roomspare.
C. On Grashpadder. D. On Roommateeasy.
3.For whom the text most probably written?
A. House owners. B. Advertisers.
C. Lodgers. D. Online companies
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth (收费站). “I’m paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me,” she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, “Some lady up ahead already paid your fare.”
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend’s refrigerator: “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. “I thought it was beautiful,” she said, explaining why she’d taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, “like a message from above.” Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn’t know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
“Here’s the idea,” Anne says. “Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly.” Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, “Kindness can build on itself as much as violence can.”
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours!
1.Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her?
A. She knew the car drivers well. B. She had seven tickets.
C. She hoped to please others. D. She wanted to show kindness.
2.Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she .
A. thought it was beautifully written
B. wanted to know what it really meant
C. decided to write it on a warehouse wall
D. wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom
3.Which of the following statements is closest in the meaning to the underlined sentence above?
A. Kindness and violence can change the world.
B. Kindness and violence can affect one’s behavior.
C. Kindness and violence can reproduce themselves.
D. Kindness and violence can shape one’s character.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. People should practice random kindness to those in need.
B. People who receive kindness are likely to offer it to others.
C. People should practice random kindness to strangers they meet.
D. People who receive kindness are likely to pay it back to the giver.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines, say UK researchers.
Their study found that theobromine, found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine, which was considered the best cough medicine at present.
The Imperial College London researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. “While coughing is not necessarily harmful(有害的) it can have a major effect on the quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem,” said Professor Peter Barnes.
Ten healthy volunteers(志愿者) were given theobromine, codeine or placebo, a pill that contains no medicine, during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin, which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicine are stopping coughs.
The team found that, when the volunteers were given theobromine, the capsaicin needed to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they needed only slightly higher levels of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo.
The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a nerve activity(神经活动), which causes coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness.
1.According to Professor Barnes, theobromine ______.
A. cannot be as effective as codeine
B. can be harmful to people’s health
C. cannot be separated from chocolate
D. can be a more effective cure for coughs
2.What was used in the experiment to cause coughing?
A. Theobromine. B. Codeine.
C. Capsaicin. D. Placebo.
3.We learn from the text that volunteers in the experiment _______.
A. were patients with bad coughs B. were divided into the three groups
C. received standard treatments D. suffered little side effects
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Codeine: A New Medicine B. Chocolate May Cure Coughs
C. Cough Treatment: A Hard Case D. Theobromine Can Cause Coughs
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include.
" I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open," said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.
The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.
" As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs," said Sam Biddle, who writes for Gizmodo.com. " We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things," he added, "and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars. "
9to5Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones.
"It's just like smartphones 10 years ago," Weintraub said. "A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural," he said. " There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there. "
1.One of the possible functions of the smartphone-like glasses is to _____.
A. program the opening hours of a bar
B. supply you with a picture of the future
C. provide information about your surroundings
D. update the maps and GPS in your smartphones
2.The underlined phrase "pop up" in the third paragraph probably means " _____".
A. develop rapidly B. get round quickly
C. appear immediately D. go over automatically
3.According to Sam Biddle, the smartphone-like glasses are _____.
A. necessary for teenagers B. attractive to New Yorkers
C. available to people worldwide D. expensive for average consumers
4.We can learn from the last two paragraphs that the smartphone-like glasses _____.
A. may have a potential market B. are as common as smartphones
C. are popular among young adults D. will be improved by a new technology
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When Glen Kruger picked a small cat from an animal shelter, he did not expect much. Yet right from the start, eight years ago, there was an uncommon connection between him and the small black cat. He ______ her Inky.
“I grew up on a hundred-acre farm and had only cats______playmates," Kruger, The seventy-year-old man, says. "My hearing was damaged by the ______ of farm equipment, so I learned to connect with ______. They react to what they see and what you do. "
Inky was a gentle cat, ______ the house with five other cats. But on a January night in 2009, Inky did ______ that would set her apart from ______ cats forever.
Kruger had gone down to the basement to ______ the wood stove for the night. When he was finished, he ______ to the top of the stairs and reached to turn off the lights. In doing so , he slipped and ______ his back against an old shelf. The heavy shelf came crashing down and sent Kruger down the stairs.
____ in a pool of blood on the basement floor, Kruger felt ______ going into shock（休克）. He shouted for help , ______ his wife, Brenda , was asleep in their bedroom at the opposite end of the house. ______ Kruger noticed Inky watching from the top of the stairs.
"Go get Brenda, " Kruger said to Inky.
Inky ______ to the bedroom door and scratched ______ until Brenda opened it. Then Inky led her to the ______ Brenda found her husband _____ the stairs and called 911. Kruger was rushed to the hospital. "I spent six months ______ there," says Kruger. "Although I became lame , I was blessed. " Since the accident, Inky has ______ left Kruger's side.
1.A. gave B. chose C. named D. remembered
2.A. like B. as C. except D. among
3.A. sound B. alarm C. voice D. noise
4.A. animals B. friends C. farmers D. neighbors
5.A. sharing B. visiting C. dividing D. discovering
6.A. anything B. nothing C. something D. everything
7.A. ordinary B. lovely C. familiar D. outstanding
8.A. shut out B. shut up C. shut down D. shut off
9.A. marched B. flew C. struggled D. climbed
10.A. bent B. hit C. shook D. pulled
11.A. Falling B. Lying C. Appearing D. Thinking
12.A. it B. itself C. him D. himself
13.A. and B. but C. or D. so
14.A. Thus B. Otherwise C. Then D. Rather
15.A. ran B. walked C. returned D. withdrew
16.A. rapidly B. suddenly C. madly D. urgently
17.A. bedroom B. basement C. yard D. house
18.A. at the bottom of B. in the middle of C. at the top of D. in the front of
19.A. regretting B. resting C. relaxing D. recovering
20.A. still B. ever C. never D. already
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Hoh Xil or Kekexili is the world’s third 1. (large) uninhabited (无人居住的) area. Many examples of wildlife can 2. (find) in the remote area of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The view of mountains, glaciers and lakes here 3. (make) it a good place in terms of natural beauty.
At the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee 4. (hold) in Poland, Hoh Xil was approved5.a new world heritage site, becoming the 51st world heritage site in China. It is home to more than 230 species of wildlife,6. (include) the endangered Tibetan antelope. The illegal hunting of Tibet antelope used to be 7. serious problem in the 1990s. The wool of Tibetan antelopes, soft and warm, can be obtained without hurting the animals. But poachers (盗猎者) would choose simply8. (kill) them before taking the wool,9. caused the number of Tibetan antelopes to drop rapidly. The struggle to stop illegal hunting was described in the 2004 film Kekexili: Mountain Patrol.
Now that Hoh Xil has made it onto the UNESCO list, it’s believed that the 10. (protect) of the region’s wild animals and special ecosystem will be more effective.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I always dream life in the future. What will it be like?
Perhaps some people will go to the moon for the holiday, and some people may live under the sea and in pace. Besides, probably there’ll be more educational program on the Internet. And therefore, students will be able to study at home instead of go to school every day. What’s more, maybe in the future each family will have a robot, that will be able to do whatever it was told to, such as going to shopping, doing housework and so on.
With the breakthrough of technology, I believe that their life will certainly become easier, happy and more colorful.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
（题文）假定你是李华，你校的交换生Terry给你发邮件想让你给他推荐一门选修课。请你给他回封邮件，内容包括：
1. 推荐书法课(calligraphy)及其原因；
2. 课程的主要内容；
3. 需要做哪些准备。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。提示词：选修课optional course
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析